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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28205718">Silver Flare</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nununununu/pseuds/Nununununu'>Nununununu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Voyeurism, Feelings Realization, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Masturbation, One-Sided Attraction, Or Is It?, Pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:07:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,221</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28205718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nununununu/pseuds/Nununununu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud had never been so grateful to shut a door behind him, and that was saying something.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zack Fair/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Writing Rainbow Silver</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Silver Flare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/crookedspoon/gifts">crookedspoon</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>CNTW: set during Cloud's training as a trooper and can either be read as underage or not</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Oh Shiva.</em>
</p>
<p>Cloud had never been so grateful to shut a door behind him, and that was saying something.</p>
<p>Fleeing into Zack’s tiny box of a room – <em>not</em> a great choice right then, but there was no way he could risk his only other option of the dorms – Cloud let his head drop back against said door with a thud, his breath coming hard as he fisted a gloved hand in his shirt over the centre of his chest without realising, his heart pounding, eyes unseeing as his mind replayed the scene he’d left behind in such a hurry.</p>
<p>He’d never thought – never expected – never believed that Zack would even consider –</p>
<p>Not him, of course. Even after years of friendship, Cloud still nearly couldn’t believe it sometimes that handsome, funny, popular, strong and successful Zack was interested in spending time with a mere trooper like him. Nonetheless aware it was unfair on Zack to think like that; Zack was so big-hearted he would certainly be baffled and likely even hurt if he knew how Cloud couldn’t help but sometimes doubt it – that easy friendship they had.</p>
<p>There had never been any artifice to the other man, never was; it was only Cloud’s insecurities having him questioning it, really.</p>
<p>But still. He had never caught Zack even looking at another man in a way that was more than friendly. Sure, Zack was always free with his hugs, pulling Cloud in for a ruffle of his hair or a teasing noogie, a bracing grip on Cloud’s upper arm or slung around his shoulders in encouragement after a failure, or a cheery slap on the back. Cloud had seen him offering similar touches to other friends, of which Zack had many, in the past.</p>
<p>Perhaps for never as long as those that were given to himself though, a fact he had always secretly hoarded – that was, until now.</p>
<p>He’d just wanted to snatch a glimpse of his friend in the training room. It was not often their schedules overlapped, after all; Cloud almost always trudging through drills while Zack got missions out in Midgard or even further afield more often than not. But he’d had the chance to peek in at Zack slinging around that massive sword and so, armed with the thought of future ribbing, Cloud had taken it, glancing around the half opened door to where Zack and his opponent were –</p>
<p>For a brief moment he’d thought they were wrestling. Swords abandoned, scrabbling at each other down there on the mats. Then realisation had slammed into Cloud along with an explosion of dizzying arousal to go with it like a silver flare going off inside his enire body, and his mouth had dried out faster than he’d ever known it to, his knees actually wobbling as his vision swam.</p>
<p>And undeniable jealousy had risen up hot and hard like a fist in his chest.</p>
<p>Cloud had possibly even gasped a little, although his ears were ringing too much for him to hear it as he stared at his best friend entangled with his partially dressed opponent on the mats. Clothes had been tugged aside, hands wandering enthusiastically, hips rutting together as one of them grunted –</p>
<p>Shaking himself hard, Cloud had fled. Because –</p>
<p>Because who was he to be jealous? Who was he to want to storm in there and wrench them apart and demand an explanation? He didn’t <em>need</em> an explanation; didn’t even want one, really. He wasn’t nearly as innocent as the guys on his squad liked to make out.</p>
<p>Case in point – he was really fucking hard right now, and one hand was already subconsciously twitching down towards his cock, while the other one was aching to bury itself in his hair.</p>
<p>But no. Zack could come back any minute – although, seeing what he had, Cloud was absolutely sure his friend wasn’t going to come back any minute – and doing what his body was screaming at him to do would be – would be –</p>
<p>Well, bad. This was Zack’s room, after all.</p>
<p>Wait, shit. This was <em>Zack’s</em> room. And that – that right there to one side of him, was Zack’s <em>bed</em>.</p>
<p>Cloud had perched on that bed before, shoulder to shoulder with Zack while they fought over the controllers, ribbing each other over whatever game they were playing. Had shared pizza with Zack on it – Shinra was too cheap to give even Soldiers like Zack more than one hard plastic chair per room. He’d huddled on that thin mattress giggling together with Zack while they got drunk and Zack ruffled his hair and called him cute, because Cloud couldn’t cope with any kind of liquor, and –</p>
<p>And <em>fuck</em>. Zack had called him cute. What if – What if he really did think Cloud was cute? As in, not just cute, but <em>cute</em> cute? Cute enough to want to – to press down onto that bed and climb on top of, and –</p>
<p>“<em>Ah – ah</em> – <em>hah</em> –” Cloud’s hand was down between his legs before he knew it, rubbing at his insistent erection, hissing through his teeth at the discomfort of his uniform trousers. He shouldn’t, he shouldn’t – as well as being disrespectful to his friend, he had no guarantee the other guys in his squad wouldn’t be in their dorm when he got back. The officers responsible for their training seemed to be hurrying it even more than ever these days, not that he dared say as much to anyone, and the last thing Cloud wanted was for Zack to get in trouble because of him.</p>
<p>Zack had coaxed Cloud into getting in trouble no few times in the past. Sneaking out after curfew for more alcohol, for snacks; on the rare times they managed to snatch an hour or so off together during the day, secreting small harmless trinkets inside the chest plate of his armour to sneak in and add to the collection Zack always swore he was going to do something with. He’d always covered for Cloud, always seen they got away – so far – with whatever they were up to, that easy grin of his seemingly ever present</p>
<p>To think of Zack coaxing Cloud into getting <em>in trouble</em>. That was, of a certain specific kind –</p>
<p>“<em>Zack</em>,” Cloud’s hand worked its way inside his trousers despite his good intentions.</p>
<p>To think of Zack pressing <em>Cloud</em> down on those mats in the training room instead –</p>
<p>“<em>Ah – ah – oh </em>–” It didn’t take long for him to spill over, making a mess of his glove and the inside of his trousers. Didn’t take long at all. Just thinking of burying his face in Zack’s neck, of putting his hands on his friend’s hips, of dragging his best friend down on top of him –</p>
<p>“<em>H-hah</em>,” Unseeing, Cloud dropped his head back against the door all over again, unsure when it had fallen forwards to all but loll against his chest. His brow creased; gloved palm sticky. Lingering need and jealousy still beating hard in his chest.</p>
<p>What was he going to say when he next saw Zack? What <em>could</em> he say?</p>
<p>What if Zack somehow realised what Cloud had just done? Zack being Zack, he might thankfully just find it amusing, but even the thought of that was a little painful in itself. Because Cloud <em>wanted</em> him, more than he’d ever wanted anyone.</p>
<p>“Damn.”</p>
<p>He was <em>screwed</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
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